Ice Cream Delights
by Senigata
Summary: [Side Chapter to Journey of a Barmaid] On a hot summer day in the slums, Tifa decides to take Marlene on a small trip.


**Just a little bit of cute. Nothing more.**

* * *

**Ice Cream Delights**

Tifa wiped some sweat off her brow as she sat behind the bar, reading the newspaper.

It was June, and June in the Midgar Slums was very humid on the best of days. Thankfully the plate above their heads provided them with a shield from the sun, but the smell of Mako only got worse during the heat, only intensifying that tangy ozone smell that stuck to the back of your throat.

_Not a lot to do today,_ Tifa thought as she was reading an article about how it was now the perfect time to take a trip to Costa del Sol for a much earned vacation. Too bad no one in the slums could afford one.

With a sigh, she rose to her feet and walked over to the door before closing it. She'd open up again later, when the evening took off some of the heat.

The others were out taking care of _business,_ so it was only her and Marlene at home.

Deciding to check up on the girl, she headed up the stairs to the little living area above the bar and stopped in front of the girl's room, peeking through the slightly ajar door with a little smile.

The little girl seemed to be taking the heat much better than everyone else, as she played around with the few toys that she had, some toy blocks, a ball and a little doll that Biggs had one day brought home. It had seen better days, but Marlene loved it no less.

Tifa's smile turned a little sad at the fact that they couldn't afford to buy her more toys, but Marlene never once complained, instead simply being happy with what she had.

She raised her hand and knocked on the doorframe to alert the girl to her presence before she stepped inside the room. Like all their living quarters it wasn't exactly a shining example of comfort, but it had a homely feel to it.

"Tifa!" Marlene called out, and she rose to her feet, then walked over to her. "Is Papa back?"

"Sorry." Tifa knelt down to her level and gave the girl a little smile. "He'll be out for a bit longer. Just wanted to check how you were doing."

"Aww." Marlene pouted and Tifa couldn't resist to ruffle her hair a little bit.

"So how are ya doing?" Tifa asked her.

"I'm hot," Marlene replied, and only now Tifa could see the tiny beads of sweat on her forehead. _Guess she isn't taking the heat as well as I thought she did._

Taking a handkerchief, she wiped the sweat off the little girl. Being cooped up inside this weather wasn't good for Marlene.

An idea came to her then. "Hey, Marlene?"

"Hm?" the girl tilted her head to the side questioningly.

"Wanna try ice cream?" she asked with a huge smile.

"Ice...cream?"

"Uh huh." Tifa nodded. "It's cool and tastes really, really sweet."

At the mention of 'sweet' she could see Marlene's eyes light up. She absolutely loved sweets. It wasn't something she could indulge in often either, so it was all the more treasured.

"Yes. I wanna try!" Marlene beamed at her, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Well," she said and rose to her feet. "What are we waiting for then?"

She already had the right place in mind.

After they left 7th Heaven, they both got into Biggs old, beaten pick-up, that he lovingly dubbed Lucille. Usually no one but him would be allowed to drive her, but ever since her birthday last month he had taken it upon himself to teach her how to drive a car.

"_Just in case,"_ he had said. "_A scooter'll only get you so far."_

So whenever he wasn't using her he had allowed her free reign over Lucille, as long as she came back in one piece.

After sitting down behind the wheel, she reached over towards Marlene and fastened the seatbelt for the little girl.

"Safety first," she said with a little wink, making Marlene giggle. Fastening her own seatbelt to set a good example, she turned the key to wake Lucille from her little nap, then drove off towards Sector 3.

It didn't take long to get there by using the trusty old car and they soon passed the familiar gates of the sector she had spend the first few years of her time in Midgar in.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Marlene look around in delight at the unfamiliar surroundings. Such a far cry from the scared girl she had met 2 years ago.

Driving through the streets she eventually spotted the familiar neon sign of the place where she had eaten her first ice cream as well: Frosty Delights.

Parking the car a few feet away, as to not block the road too much, she unfastened their seatbelts before they both got out of the car. It didn't take long for the neon sign to catch Marlene's attention and she let out a little sound of surprise.

"Here we are," she said and peeked through the glass door to see that the place was bustling. Not exactly surprising during these temperatures. She smiled at the little girl and held out her hand. "Let's go."

"Mhm." Marlene nodded and took her hand, growing a little quieter at the prospect of all these strangers inside.

"Don't worry. They are just here to enjoy some ice cream as well!" Tifa reassured her, then pushed the door open. A little bell above the door announced their entry.

"Welcome to Frosty Delights, what can I getcha!" the owner said, turning around to greet them. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at seeing her. "Back so soon? And here I thought it would be another couple of years."

Tifa laughed. She had only been here last month, after four long years, when Wedge had asked her to show it to him as part of a scheme to get her out of the store for her birthday.

"Sorry. I think the last time got me addicted," she joked and led Marlene to the counter.

"That's music to my ears," he chuckled. His gaze turned downward until it landed on little Marlene, causing the girl to hide herself behind her leg. "Shy one, aren'tcha?"

"Sorry. This is a bit new to her."

"Is that so?" the man leaned a bit over the counter to take a better look at Marlene. "Never had any ice cream?"

The little girl's answer came in a shake of her head that made her brown hair brush against Tifa's leg.

"Well we can't have that!" he exclaimed with a grin, and then he pointed at the trays with ice cream that could be seen through the glass. "Come, take a look!"

Marlene looked up towards her and she gave the girl a nod to tell her that it was alright. Almost instantly she was glued to the counter, looking at the contents in wonderment.

She waited a moment before she asked: "So what do you want?"

"The colors," the little girl replied.

"Which one?"

"All of them!" Marlene to her with a grin.

Tifa chuckled and knelt down next to her. "I'm sorry, but too much will upset your stomach."

"And it'll make ya look like me," the owner said, slapping his belly with a huge grin.

"Two colors," Tifa said, holding up two fingers in emphasis.

"Aww, OK." Marlene turned her attention back to the ice cream, pondering what she should choose. "The pink ones!"

"The pink ones it is," the man said and went to work. "I'm sorry that I can't offer you a seat."

"That's alright. Make that two cups to go, please," Tifa said.

"Roger that."

After he put two scoops into a little paper cup he handed it to Tifa, together with a little plastic spoon. She then knelt down and handed both to Marlene, who immediately took a taste and let out a sound of delight.

The man chuckled and turned to her. "And what'll it be for you?"

"Vanilla." She shrugged. "I'm a simple girl."

"Gotcha!"

As the man scooped up her ice cream he glanced towards Marlene. "Your daughter?"

Tifa smiled and shook her head. "Daughter of a friend. I'm watching her while he's busy. But you're not the first to ask."

"Well you're doing a good job of being motherly," he told her and handed over her own cup.

"I suppose..." Did she really? She wasn't entirely sure. She just did what felt natural.

After paying for their ice cream, Tifa and Marlene left the parlour and slowly walked back towards the car, both enjoying the sweet treat. By the time they reached Lucille they were finished and had discarded the cups in a nearby waste bin.

"Tifa?" Marlene asked after they had gotten back into the car and fastened their seatbelts.

"Yes?"

"Can we come here again?"

"Sure," Tifa replied and ruffled her hair, before she turned on the engine and drove them back home.


End file.
